Telegraph-key.



- W. A. BOYD.

TELEGRAPH KEY. APPLICATION FILED MAY29. 1914.

Patented July H, 1916.

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b sen ran WALTER ANDERSON BOYD, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BYMESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, WALTER ANDERSON Born, acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Telegrapl1Keys, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telegraph keys and has for its object theproduction of a telegraph key of few and simple parts and reliable inoperation.

In accordance with this invention, generally speaking, there is provideda telegraph key having two pivoted and independently movablelevers eachcarrying a contact, which pair of contacts make both dots and dashes,the two pivoted levers being movable by a floating key lever locatedbetween the pivoted levers.

This invention will be more fully understood by reference to thedrawings showing one embodiment thereof and wherein- Figure 1 is a planview of a telegraph key; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the telegraph keyshown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the telegraph key comprises a base 5 having anopening 6 therein, over which there is placed a plate 7 secured to thebase 5 by means of screws 8, 8. A trunnion bracket 9 is mounted upon theplate 7. An operators Lshaped key lever 10, having insulating fingerpieces 11, moves from left to right and from right to left on a verticalshaft 12 suitably mounted in upper and lower bearings in the bracket 9.An end of the key lever 10 is provided with an upwardly extendingportion 13, which, when the key lever 10 is moved from left to right,engages a pin 16 carried by one end of alever ll mounted on a shaft 15suitably mounted in upper and lower bearings in the bracket 9. A fiatvertical spring 20 is se cured to the other end of lever 1e and hasattached to its opposite end a vibrating rod or bar 21 carrying a weight22, which may be slid back and forth thereon and held at anydesiredpoint. A flat spring 24:, carrying at one end a contact 25, issecured to and operates with the vibrating bar 21, a spacer 26 beinginterposed between the spring 24L and the bar 21. The spring 24: is heldunder a normal tension by means of a backing leaf Normally, the lever 11 is held in a blased position against a stop pin 28 carried by an arm29 of thebracket 9 by means of the expansion of a coiled spring 30, oneend of which is in engagement with the lever 14: and the other end withan adjustment screw 35 mounted in a suitable support 36. A screw 37 anda support 38 therefor form a suitable stop for the lever 14 when it isactuated by the key lever 10. A deadener or damper for the vibrating bar21 consists of a pin 39 adjustably mounted in a support 10, and carriesin one end a piece of leather 41 or other suitable damping material. Thefree end of the spring 2 1 is normally held at rest against a piece ofrubber 12 or other suitable insulating material carried in one end of ascrew 43 adjustably mounted in a support 44. A second trunnion bracket50 is mounted .on the plate 7 but insulated therefrom by means of astrip 51 of mica or other suitable insulating material. A lever 52,carrying at one end a contact 53, is mounted on a vertical shaft 5 1suitably mounted in upper and lower bearings or trunnion screws 19 heldin the bracket 50. The upwardly extending portion 13 of the key lever10, when said key lever is moved from right to left, engages theinsulating tip 55 of a screw 56 adjustably mounted in an upwardlyextending portion 57 of an intermediate lever 58'1nounted on shoulders59 formed on the trunnion screws 49.

The expansion of a coiled spring 64:, one end of which is in engagementwith an end of the contact-carrying lever 52 and the other end with anadjustment screw 65 mounted in an arm 66 of the bracket 50, holds thecontact-carrying lever 52 in a normally biased position against the endof an adjustment screw 67 carried in one end of the intermediate lever58. The expansion of the spring 64, through the medium of thecontact-carrying lever 52 and the screw 67, also holds the intermediatelever 58 in a normally biased position against a stop pin 68 carried byan arm 69 of the bracket 50.

70 and 71 represent terminals to which the conductors of the telegraphcircuit may be attached. In order that the line circuit, to which thetelegraph key is connected, may be closed when the key is not in use, acircuit-closing lever 7 2 is pivoted at 74: on an extension 73 of thebracket 50, and is adapted to engage the contact jaws 75 and restingmounted on an extension 7 6 of the bracket 9.

When the key leverlO is moved to the right. from normal position, lever14 'is moved away from the stop pin 28 and against the adjustablymounted stop screw 87, the vibrating bar 21 from the stop 41 and thespring 24 from the stop pin 42, whereby the bar 21 is permitted tovibrate, causing the Contact 25 to rapidly engage and disengage contact53 making a series of dots.' When the key lever '10 is moved to the leftfrom normal position, the intermediate lever 58 is moved away from thestop pin 68,"and;through the screw 67 moves the contact-carrying lever52, whereby the contact 53 is brought into engagement with contact 25making a dash. 7

.It will be seen that contact 53 mounted on'the' end of bar 52 is heldrigidly and free from vibration, while contact 25 is brought intoengagementtherewith for making dots. It will further be seen thatcontact 25 mounted on spring member 24 against back-stop 42 is 'held'inadefinite fixed position freeffronivibration, while contact 53 isbrought into engagement therewith 'for producing dashes.

What is claimedis: 1. A telegraph key comprising a base, twoindependently movable levers pivotally mounted thereon, a contactcarried by each of said levers, means for holding one of said contactsrigid and moving the other into contact therewith to make dots and forholding said other contact rigid and moving j gage and diseng dashes; 1r e I 2. A telegraph; key comprising a base, two independently movablelevers pivotally mounted thereon, 'a contact carried by each of saidlevers, andfa floating key lever pivthe said one into contact therewithto make otally mounted on said base between said levers, wherebymovementof said key lever in 'one directlon causes said contacts to en- 'keylever for moving age in rapidsuccession, and

in another direction causes a ment of said contacts.

3. A telegraph key comprising a base, two independently movable leverspivotally mounted thereon, acontact carried by each of said levers,spring-pressed means for holding one of said contacts stationary, a

the other of said contacts into engagement therewith to make dots,spring-pressed means for holding the other of said contacts stationary,and an intermediate lever through which movement of said key lever istransmitted to move the said one contact into engagement with said othercontact to make dashes.

4. A telegraph key comprising a floating key lever movable in twodirections, a lever actuated by movement of said key lever in onedirection but remaining stationary during its other movement, a vibratoractuated by movement of said key lever, a contact carried by said leverand a contact carried by said vibrator, movement of said key lever toactuate said vibrator causing said contacts to engage and disengage inrapid succession to produce dots and movement of said key lever toactuate said lever causing said contacts to engage to produce a dash.

5. A telegraph key comprising a floating key lever movable in twodirections, a vibrator, a contact carried thereby, a pivotally mountedlever, a contact carried by said lever, an intermediate lever throughwhich said first lever is actuated by movement of said key lever in onedirection causing said contacts to engage to produce a dash, movement ofsaid key lever in another direction causing said vibrator to oscillatewhereby said contacts engage and disengage in rapid succession toproduce dots.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my'name this 28 day of May A.D., 1914.

lVALTER ANDERSON BOYD.

Witnesses:

K. L. STAHL, N. E. TUTHILL.

single engage- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, vVil'ashington, D. G.

